Marauders in Love
by CinderellaAtTheBall
Summary: The Marauders experience new relationships, broken hearts, and the bonds of friendship. Includes appearances from Lily and Severus as well! Warning: future RL/SB slash and fluffiness, as well as other fluffy pairings.


**CatB: Call me crazy, but I'm starting another multi-chaptered fic. Hope you enjoy it! =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything even remotely related to Harry Potter. I just borrow the characters for fanfiction fun!**

"She called me a-she thinks I'm a _what_?!" James yelped, indignant.

Remus and Sirius had finally returned from interrogating Lily as to why she wouldn't go out with their friend. Now the Marauders were lounging around outside, under their favorite beech tree by the lake.

"An-an arrogant toerag," Remus said apologetically. "Those were her exact words, too, I'm afraid."

"Great," James sighed, ruffling his hair into his trademark I-just-stepped-off-my-broomstick style.

"I won't even tell you what else she said, mate," Sirius said, shaking his head. "It might just kill you."

James groaned. "No, tell me. It's not like it could get any worse."

"Yes, it could," Remus warned him.

"She said," Sirius lowered his voice dramatically, "that she would rather, er _marry Peter_ than go out with you."

"I would marry her, too," Peter said dreamily.

James kicked him.

"Come on, Prongs, just forget about Evans," Sirius said bracingly as Peter squealed in pain. "Elena Macdonald looks great these days and I'm sure she would love to go out with the great James Potter."

"You mean Mary Macdonald's sister?" James snorted. "No, thank you, but if you're into her, Padfoot, be my guest. And I can't just forget about Evans!" he added irritably, combing his hair with his fingers again.

"James, if you want Lily to like you, perhaps you should refrain from showing off in front of her," Remus said reasonably. "She made it quite clear she thinks you're a showoff."

Peter giggled. "James is about as likely to stop showing off as-as…"

"As you are to get a girlfriend this year, Peter?" Sirius supplied, smirking.

Peter turned bright red but did not reply.

"Oh, this is no good," James said, jumping to his feet.

"What's no good, mate?" Sirius asked.

"Trying to figure out exactly what Evans thinks of me! I have half a mind to go ask her what I have to do so that she'll go out with me," James declared.

Sirius leapt up, too. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Do you want her to think you're a desperate fool on top of everything else?"

"He _does_ have a point, James," Remus said thoughtfully. "It's bad enough that you sent your friends to ask about you, I doubt she'll be impressed if you were to follow that up with groveling. Besides, as Sirius was getting at earlier, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Find another poor girl to obsess over."

Sirius nodded in smug agreement, taking a seat again.

"Evans isn't just some fish in the sea!" James protested hotly. "She's-she's _special_."

"Because she won't let you, ah, catch her?" Sirius said slyly.

"I'm not a fisherman!" James snapped. At this, his three friends burst out laughing.

"Witty, Prongs," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Really witty."

James sat back down, looking defeated. "Seriously, what do you lot reckon I should do?"

"I suggest you stop showing off and focus your, er, attentions somewhere else," Remus said patiently.

"And I…agree with Remus," Sirius announced.

Remus and James both turned to look at him. "You _do_?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, I do. It's well thought out and logical, but then, your plans always are, aren't they, Moony?" He nudged Remus, who had begun staring, cheeks slightly red, at his feet.

"I guess so," he mumbled, scooting out of Sirius' reach.

"I agree with Remus, too!" Peter squeaked.

"Only because you can't think of anything else, Peter," Sirius said, laughing.

"I-I can, too!" Peter said shrilly. "I was thinking James could-could, uh, try to make Lily jealous! But R-Remus' idea made more-more sense."

Sirius looked stunned. "Wormtail, that idea might even be _better _than Remus'."

"You reckon?" James looked skeptical.

"Sure. I mean, you'd still be directing your attention towards someone else, and if you can succeed in making Lily jealous, she's all yours," Sirius explained.

James brightened, allowing a grin to stretch across his face. "Padfoot, my friend, I daresay you are absolutely right."

"It was _my_ idea!" Peter said, looking resentful.

"Yeah, thanks, Peter," James said. Peter beamed.

"Say, Remus, are you alright?" Sirius said suddenly.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." He pasted a smile onto his face, replacing the unsettled look he had been wearing seconds before. "Um, we'd better get going. Class is going to start in a few minutes," he added quickly. He stood and pulled his schoolbag onto his shoulder, then walked off without waiting for his friends.

"Moony looks thinner than usual," James observed. "Do you think he's okay?"

Sirius frowned. "He hasn't been sleeping well, either," he said quietly. "You're a heavy sleeper, but I can hear him tossing and turning for hours, poor fellow."

"Well, it is close to his, er, time of the month," James said, biting his lip to keep from laughing. "He's always in bad shape closer to his transformation. He'll be fine. He's got us, after all."

"Oh, that's right." Sirius looked relieved. "And here I was starting to get worried!"

James chuckled and led his two remaining friends to Charms, the prospect of seeing Lily wiping any worries about Remus from his mind entirely.

* * *

"I understand that James Potter fancies me, but I honestly have no idea why," Lily told Severus.

Severus gazed at her in wonder. "You really have no idea?" he asked, trying not to sound too incredulous.

She rolled her eyes. "No, I really don't, Sev. Do you?"

"Well," Severus said shyly, "I think it might be because-well, because," he took a deep breath, "because you're beautiful, Lily. Or so he thinks. I mean, that's not to say that you're not beautiful, but-"

"Severus!" she exclaimed, a look of shock on her face. "That is _no reason_ for him to fancy me!"

"Oh, believe me, that's reason enough for James Potter," he muttered under his breath, scowling.

"As if I could ever be attracted to someone like him anyway," Lily continued. "I mean, he isn't nearly as wonderful as everyone makes him out to be. In fact, he's a coward!"

"How so?" Severus asked eagerly.

"He sent Remus and Black to ask me _why _I won't go out with him! Can you imagine? The nerve!" Lily ranted.

"Indeed!" Severus agreed.

Lily became solemn. "James Potter is as arrogant and selfish as they get, Sev. I hope you'll _never _be like him."

"I won't," Severus said anxiously.

"You promise?" Her green eyes were searching his black ones desperately.

"I promise," he replied.

"Good. Now we'd better get to Charms. I want to get there early, so we can ensure that we sit as far away from James Potter as we possibly can."

* * *

"Hey, Evans!" James greeted Lily as soon as she stepped into the Charms classroom. "I thought maybe you could sit with me and my mates today."

"Only four people can sit at one table," she said, trying to push past him. Severus looked relieved at this reply.

James cocked his head at her. "So?"

She stopped and stared at him. "_So_…you and your three friends, plus me…that makes _five_, not four. Or can you not do basic math, Potter?" she said coldly. Severus sniggered.

"Well, I figured Peter could sit somewhere else," was James' retort.

"Hey!" Peter squeaked.

Lily put her hands on her hips. "And where would Severus sit?"

"_Snivellus _can sit with his little Death Eater pals," James snapped, losing his patience.

"'Death Eater pals'? How dare you-" Lily began furiously, but she was cut off by Professor Flitwick, who angrily inquired if they had all had some Chatty Cordial, because they were talking so much. She quickly took a seat next to Severus, but she refused to look at or talk to him, choosing instead to spend the whole lesson trying to sort out her thoughts.

* * *

As soon as she heard the bell ring, Lily was out of her seat and out the door. Severus hurried to catch up with her. "Lily, where-"

She ignored him, walking briskly to the end of the corridor, where she made a left into a deserted corridor. Upon reaching an ugly tapestry of a witch and her bubbling concoction, she pushed it back to reveal a door into a hidden passageway. She marched in. Severus followed and pulled the heavy door shut.

"Lily, I don't understand-"

She spun around. "Was he telling the truth?"

"Was who telling the truth?" Severus asked.

"Potter. _Was he telling the truth_?" Lily hissed.

"What? No!" Severus cried.

"So you're not involved with the Death Eaters?" Lily said quietly.

"I-no, no," Severus said quickly. "I'm not."

Her eyes flashed. "If you're lying to me, Severus, I swear I will never talk to you again."

Severus laughed nervously. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"

"No."

"Well, it's not like you have to worry about that anyway. I'm best friends with _you_, for crying out loud!"

She crossed her arms. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I just meant that-because you're, well, a Mud-Muggle-born, and Death Eaters hate Muggle-borns," Severus tried to explain. "So why would I be friends with you if I hated Muggle-borns?"

"You tell me," she said.

"Lily! I'm not a Death Eater! Please, you have to believe me," Severus pleaded.

She relaxed. "Okay, I believe you."

"Good," Severus sighed.

"I just wanted to make sure that Potter wasn't right, that's all. I know that's something he would do, you know, spread nasty lies and everything, but I wanted to be absolutely certain that there wasn't even a little bit of truth to his claim."

"There isn't," Severus assured her.

"I'm glad." She smiled and pulled him into her arms.

Severus patted her back awkwardly, unable to keep a grin off his face.

She stepped back a moment later. "Hey, Sev, how would you like to hang out with me in Hogsmeade next weekend? That way, if Potter asks me to go with him, I can say I'm going with you."

"I'd love to," Severus said happily. "Don't worry, though, I'll make sure Potter stays far enough away that he won't even be _able_ to ask you."

**CatB: I just realized...I have no idea when this takes place, because Lily doesn't think that Sev's associating with Death Eaters yet, but the Marauders are all Animagi (Animaguses?), I think. Well, they know that Remus is a werewolf, at least...so I guess this takes place in their third year. Or maybe their fourth? But the Marauders weren't Animagi until their fifth year...(besides Remus, of course)**

**Anyway, if someone could help me out with this/give me feedback, I'd be extremely grateful! **

**Review, review, review! Thanks so much! =)**


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